ALUMNI NEWS 2012

Renhao Zhang

Bio 100A - Spring 2006

Bio 100A was not required at the time for the biotechnology certificate at CCSF in bio-manufacturing but I'm glad I took the class because it gave me a deeper appreciation for the fermentation process behind the production of so much modern medicine. In 2008 I joined Genentech's South San Francisco production plant in the Fill/Finishing facility where vials of drugs are readied for shipping/storage before distribution to healthcare providers. Holding my first full time job was an eye-opening experience. With the memory of stressing out over lab experiments and exams still fresh in my mind, I was thrown into a fast paced environment where supporting departments had to work in concert with both upstream and downstream product lines while keeping to a strict but ever-changing production schedule. I did very well in this exciting but extremely regulated environment where one's resourcefulness is challenged by not only technical know-how, but also one's ability to communicate and collaborate effectively across a variety of professional relationships.

My contributions were sufficiently appreciated by my colleagues that they named me one of Genentech's "Technician of the Year" for 2009. The recognition came with a bit of award money and was nice but it paled in comparison to the satisfaction of being, even a small part, of the lives touched by the medicine I helped make. Millions of vials processed by the production line I help operate goes to patients of cancer, stroke/heart-attacks, immunological diseases, etc. whose lives/quality-of-life would be drastically different otherwise. Inevitably, the life of a loved one is the one that is touched. One of our coworkers told the story of one of Genentech's "blood clot busters" saving his fathers life when a heart attack struck during a holiday BBQ. Award or not, getting paid to help save lives was an incredible reason for waking up in the morning.

Nevertheless, the award gave me the self confidence to return to school for a BS in biology so I can pursue a more scientificaly challanging career. To that end I sought opportunities where I can explore my readiness for things outside of drug manufacturing. In Nov 2011, I began an internship at the Western Reagional Research Center operated in Albany, Calif., by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The Processed Foods Unit at the Albany center was launching a project on reducing the effects of food allergens. I helped establish the lab facility of Dr. Yuzhu Zhang by readying and setting up supplies and equipment for study specific proteins in foods that trigger allergic reactions. I learned molecular cloning techniques for manipulating bacteria into producing specific proteins or protein fragments of our choice and then extracting/purifiying them for further study. For the last few months, I have been helping to teach what I've learned to two junior interns who joined our lab as foreign exchange students from Korea and France. It has all come full circle from so many years ago when I sat in the lecture hall at CCSF, learning about cell biology for the first time myself.

My own journey is still far from over. A student still, I must continuously adapt to the changing availability of my own time, energy, and resources while marshaling the determination and drive to complete classes and finish school. I would paraphrase some wise words spoken to me some time ago: Do not be daunted by or feel impatient with all that you are told must accomplished in school, because ITS NOT A SPRINT, ITS A MARATHON. Speed and strength in all forms may be leveraged as advantages, but the truly successful learns to draw on perseverance and endurance. In these times we live in, the road we travel as students can be long and uncertain. Personally, I take a bit of comfort knowing that I do not travel alone. My fellow travelers may not share my point of origin or final destination. But we can inform and support each other with words of encouragement and enlightenment so that our resolve is strengthened and we don't get disoriented or loose our way.

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Last updated August 20, 2012 by Crima Pogge, all rights reserved.